When I ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014, I promised Georgians I’d fight to bring term limits to Congress. Immediately after being sworn in, I introduced a Constitutional amendment that would do just that. The fight for term limits is an uphill battle because those in power thrive off the status quo, but it’s a fight we must have. Our Founders never envisioned the rise of career politicians. Term limits would break through Washington’s gridlock and usher in the return of citizen legislators.

Washington Should Be More Concerned About The Next Generation Than The Next ElectionBy Sen. David Perdue
The Daily Signal

It’s no secret that Americans are fed up with Washington’s lack of results. Less than 20 percent of respondents in a recent Gallup survey said they trust the federal government to do its job.

You know what, they’re right.

Somebody has to be responsible for the mess in Washington. For too long, career politicians have focused more on advancing their own careers than helping the people they were elected to serve. The Washington bubble and an unending cycle of gridlock stand in the way of real results at a time when our country is facing both a national debt crisis and a global security crisis.

Now, more than ever, we should usher in the return of the citizen legislator. It is finally time that we impose term limits on members of Congress.

Politicians should go to Washington, do their best, and then come home to live under the laws they’ve passed. It’s just that simple. Our Founding Fathers never imagined the rise of the career politician. They envisioned citizen legislators. Elected office was never meant to be a career, nor was it meant to be a vessel for the centralization and maintenance of federal power.

Yet right now, 60 members of the U.S. Senate have held elected office for more than 20 years and 36 have held office for more than 30 years.

The broken seniority system in Congress rewards years in power, not results produced. Because of that, Washington has no sense of urgency or focus on results. Too little is being done to deal with our national debt, restore our standing in the world, and roll back the regulations crippling our free-enterprise system.

When I ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014, I promised Georgians I would fight to pass term limits for members of Congress. Immediately after being sworn in last year, I co-sponsored a constitutional amendment doing just that: two six-year terms in the Senate and six two-year terms in the House. I personally have pledged to serve no more than two terms in the U.S. Senate.

Imagine citizen legislators coming to Washington—from all walks of life—fighting for the priorities that truly represent the interests of folks back home. They would bring fresh ideas and a new sense of urgency to finally begin to deal with the crises jeopardizing our country’s future.

Citizen legislators could work outside the political establishment to bring a fresh perspective to how burdensome government policies negatively affect people’s everyday lives.

They could apply their practical experience to solving our nation’s toughest problems, and because they would only serve a short time, citizen legislators could approach solving problems with a sense of urgency instead of kicking the can down the road for the sake of political security.

Support for term limits is bipartisan. Another Gallup survey showed that 75 percent of voters—Republicans and Democrats alike—back legislation limiting the time people can serve at the highest levels of government. Given the polarizing climate crippling Washington today, there is something to be said about an idea that overwhelmingly unites both parties.

Enacting term limits will be an uphill battle because those currently in power thrive on the status quo. There is growing support in Congress, however, for term limits and many members on both sides are committed to going forward, no matter how long it takes.

Career politicians created this moment of crisis America faces today. They aren’t the ones who are going to solve it.

Term limits will help break this vicious cycle of gridlock that is stopping Congress from getting things done. It’s time to finally make sure Washington is more concerned about the next generation than the next election.

For too long, career politicians in Washington, D.C., have focused more on advancing their own careers than helping the people they are elected to serve.

More than eight in 10 Americans believe that our political leaders are more interested in protecting their own power and privilege than doing what is right for the American people.

THAT’S JUST WRONG. Now, more than ever, we should institute term limits for Washington politicians and return to the concept of citizen legislators.

Our nation has built up an $18 trillion debt. We face more than $100 trillion in future unfunded liabilities – related to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, federal pensions and interest on the debt.

Not only is the economy struggling, but Washington’s constant power grab through sweeping rules and regulations continues with complete disregard for the people they affect.
From the Internal Revenue Service to the Environmental Protection Agency, big government is taxing and regulating almost every aspect of our lives. Too many people are tangled in a web of dependency on government programs when what we need is to empower the individual.

We’ve got to change course before it’s too late. But we cannot get our country back on track when career politicians in Washington cling to failed ideas of the past, and cater to special interests that keep them in office.

I believe our Founding Fathers were committed to the concept of citizen legislators, and never imagined the rise of the career politicians who have created the constant gridlock crippling Washington today.

Historically, citizen legislators work outside politics and bring a fresh perspective to how burdensome government policies can negatively affect people’s everyday lives.

WHILE IN OFFICE, citizen legislators apply their practical experience to solving our nation’s toughest problems. Because they only serve a short time, citizen legislators are concerned about solving problems with a sense of urgency instead of kicking the can down the road because it makes for good politics.

As promised, one of my first official actions as Georgia’s newest senator was to co-sponsor a constitutional amendment imposing term limits on members of Congress – specifically, three terms in the House of Representatives and two terms in the Senate. I have personally committed myself to no more than two terms in the Senate.

Supporting term limits for elected officials is not a partisan idea. In fact, several presidents across the ideological spectrum and throughout American history – Jefferson, Lincoln, Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy – have supported term limits for Congress.

At the state level, Georgia already has citizen legislators who work full time and attend the legislative session only part of the year to serve their communities.

It won’t be easy to institute term limits at the federal level, however. The fight for term limits has been and will continue to be an uphill battle because of career politicians who survive on the status quo.

THIS FLAWED SENIORITY system is based on years worked, but success should be measured based on the results produced. What we need in Washington are people more concerned about the next generation than the next election.

If we want to create a brighter future for Georgians and all Americans, we must continue to fight for real change through term limits. I will fight every day against Washington insiders, and hope you’ll join me in calling for the return of the citizen legislator.